What Order Greatest Brits.?

[waiheke1 4,295]

Woffy got a spot because he was British. But how many continental riders over the years got a world final spot based on bring from the east, when they would have had no chance going via the inter continental route riders like starostin and ondrasik.

I'd say Lee would have made the gp series in 78, so only a year later than he did. And remember Emil is one of only a handful of riders to have finished on the podium as a teenager.

I'd say the riders that miss out are those who have one outstanding season. Someone like les Collins in 82 for example would never have been in the series, and had he qualified in 82 for the 83 season, would have finished close to bottom in 83 when he never got close to repeating the sane form.

Agree with you regarding laguta, good to see him going through the qualifying rounds.

[bruno 1,797]

Although I agree the old one offs were special days of the 16 riders in it at least half were making the numbers up were as today although some of the 15 won't win it overall I reckon anyone of them could win a round

[iris123 21,141]

We have been through all of this before.Yes,the one off finals had the theatre,the excitement that came from knowing it was all on this one meeting.But the trouble was it was a one track thing and a track specialist could come out on top above riders who definitely were better over a season.As i mentioned the whole Wembley thing skewed some finals in favour of certain riders.It was also a time when riders rode regularly at only about 10 tracks,and it was also a time when 'cheating' was going on a fair bit.

 

The early finals with a points total from quali rounds adding to the points in the final helped to an extent,but i can understand the trouble with a rider who doesn't win the final getting the title.But todays GP series is far far better in ensuring the best rider ends up with the title.That is why Tai deserves to be right up with the best Brits ever and in years to come will quite probably prove to be the best ever!!!

[OveFundinFan 4,155]

Only part I may disagree with you, iris123, is your last bit about Tai being best Brit ever. He would have to win more world titles when the class of field was as like 2017. Fundin, Craven, Briggs, More, Knutsson were all at the top of their game and any race with them in would have been tough. Same with Collins, Mauger, Olsen, Nielsen..... all had to contend with each other but also other riders at the top of their game ie Louis, Betts< Jessup, Simmo, Ashby and others. Go through Gunderson, Penhall etc just the same. Ithink this years GP is with the current best 15, but I class it easier to some eras through speedway history.

[iris123 21,141]

Only part I may disagree with you, iris123, is your last bit about Tai being best Brit ever. He would have to win more world titles when the class of field was as like 2017. Fundin, Craven, Briggs, More, Knutsson were all at the top of their game and any race with them in would have been tough. Same with Collins, Mauger, Olsen, Nielsen..... all had to contend with each other but also other riders at the top of their game ie Louis, Betts< Jessup, Simmo, Ashby and others. Go through Gunderson, Penhall etc just the same. Ithink this years GP is with the current best 15, but I class it easier to some eras through speedway history.

I am not saying he is at this moment the best,but has a great chance to go on and prove he is,by winning another title or two against some great oppo.The thing with the GPs is that you have to prove yourself in a number of different countries on the various tracks that they provide.Plus,you have pretty much the best riders out there to compete against.Generally there might be one or two that are missing,but that is nothing compared to almost half the field being below standard and only there because of the biased qualification rounds of the one day finals.

[OveFundinFan 4,155]

If I had to vote for one day final of the 12 round GP's it would be for the GP's. To be able to see the worlds best 12 times a year, racing different tracks - great. But the atmosphere, particularly at Wembley was fantastic. 1967 when Ove Fundin won whilst racing for Belle Vue - wife and I still talk about it. A gang of us went down, and our reaction as he won was just crazy.

[iris123 21,141]

If I had to vote for one day final of the 12 round GP's it would be for the GP's. To be able to see the worlds best 12 times a year, racing different tracks - great. But the atmosphere, particularly at Wembley was fantastic. 1967 when Ove Fundin won whilst racing for Belle Vue - wife and I still talk about it. A gang of us went down, and our reaction as he won was just crazy.

Spot on.Agree with that,apart from the 1967 final,which i sadly missed

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

I am not saying he is at this moment the best,but has a great chance to go on and prove he is,by winning another title or two against some great oppo.The thing with the GPs is that you have to prove yourself in a number of different countries on the various tracks that they provide.Plus,you have pretty much the best riders out there to compete against.Generally there might be one or two that are missing,but that is nothing compared to almost half the field being below standard and only there because of the biased qualification rounds of the one day finals.

Was it that much more bais than the system now ? Edited June 15, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[iris123 21,141]

Was it that much more bais than the system now ?

Of course.Much more

[Midland Red 2,383]

I am not saying he is at this moment the best,but has a great chance to go on and prove he is,by winning another title or two against some great oppo.The thing with the GPs is that you have to prove yourself in a number of different countries on the various tracks that they provide.Plus,you have pretty much the best riders out there to compete against.Generally there might be one or two that are missing,but that is nothing compared to almost half the field being below standard and only there because of the biased qualification rounds of the one day finals.

You can become World Champion without winning a single meeting

A lot of people don't like that

You can even be champion before the final meeting

A lot of people don't like that

And of course, these days, you can win a meeting with just one race win, in heat 23

A lot of people don't like that

[iris123 21,141]

You can become World Champion without winning a single meeting

A lot of people don't like that

You can even be champion before the final meeting

A lot of people don't like that

And of course, these days, you can win a meeting with just one race win, in heat 23

A lot of people don't like that

Sure

 

But in the old system you could win the final without winning any previous meeting.In fact you could be in the final without being in any previous meeting!!!!

 

You might be able to win a meeting with only the one heat win,but in the end it is still the rider who has gained the most points over a whole season who ends up as champ.No flukes and very hard to buy off fellow riders and ask for favours over a season.

 

There is also no chance that you win the championship by riding on your home track because there are so many tracks and some are never used for speedway other than the GP.So no home advantage

[The White Knight 9,039]

You can become World Champion without winning a single meeting

A lot of people don't like that

You can even be champion before the final meeting

A lot of people don't like that

And of course, these days, you can win a meeting with just one race win, in heat 23

A lot of people don't like that

Now personally - 'I LIKE THAT' - Post I mean.

 

Says it all for me.

[fatface 2,586]

Only part I may disagree with you, iris123, is your last bit about Tai being best Brit ever. He would have to win more world titles when the class of field was as like 2017. Fundin, Craven, Briggs, More, Knutsson were all at the top of their game and any race with them in would have been tough. Same with Collins, Mauger, Olsen, Nielsen..... all had to contend with each other but also other riders at the top of their game ie Louis, Betts< Jessup, Simmo, Ashby and others. Go through Gunderson, Penhall etc just the same. Ithink this years GP is with the current best 15, but I class it easier to some eras through speedway history.

I'm sure you are right that the Fundin-Briggs-Craven-Moore era was one of the strongest in history. But it is funny when you look back how strong some years can look in retrospect. It is interesting to note that the 1999 GP series featured seven World Champions who have since totalled 20 World Championships! But would anyone then or now regard 1999 as the best year ever?